Main content
Statistics and probability
Course: Statistics and probability > Unit 2
Lesson 1: Displaying quantitative data with graphs- Representing data
- Frequency tables & dot plots
- Creating frequency tables
- Creating dot plots
- Reading dot plots & frequency tables
- Dot plots and frequency tables review
- Creating a histogram
- Histograms
- Interpreting a histogram
- Create histograms
- Read histograms
- Histograms review
- Stem-and-leaf plots
- Reading stem and leaf plots
- Reading stem and leaf plots
- Stem and leaf plots review
© 2023 Khan AcademyTerms of usePrivacy PolicyCookie Notice
Stem and leaf plots review
Stem and leaf plots
A stem and leaf plot displays numerical data by splitting each data point into a "leaf" (usually the last digit) and a "stem" (the leading digit or digits).
For example, the buyer for a chain of department stores counted the number of pairs of boots at each of the stores and made a stem and leaf plot for the data. Here is the dataset and the stem and leaf plot:
Dataset: , , , , , , , , ,
Stem and leaf plot:
Key:
Want to learn more about reading stem and leaf plots? Check out this video.
Creating a stem and leaf plot
Here's how to make a stem and leaf plot step by step. We'll use the same dataset as before. Here it is again:
Step 1: Split each data point into a stem and a leaf. The stem is everything before the final digit, and the leaf is the final digit. Write the stems in a vertical column and don't skip stems just because they don't have any data.
Our are the tens digits:
Step 2: Write each leaf next to its corresponding stem. The
Step 3: Give a key that explains what a stem and leaf represent.
Key:
Want to learn more about creating stem and leaf plots? Check out this video.
Example: Reading stem and leaf plots
A zookeeper published the following stem-and-leaf plot showing the number of bears at each major zoo in the country:
Key:
Want to practice more problems like this? Check out this exercise on reading stem and leaf plots.
Want to join the conversation?
- It looks confusing at first, but is actually very simple.(14 votes)
- If one of the observations was 0, how would this be recorded? Would it be:
0 ¦ 0
?(6 votes)- Yes, precisely so.
It would be interpreted as 0 tens + 0 ones, which equals 0.(6 votes)
- It's easier than I thought(8 votes)
- Can you do stem and leaf plots with decimals and negative numbers?(5 votes)
- Yes, you can actually. You make the Stem negative If you want the number negative such as -2 | 3 = -23. Now with Decimals, the only way I know how to do it is to edit the key, for example, 2 | 4 = 2.4 that line could instead mean where to place the decimal point instead of separating the 10s place value. Or 1.2 | 3 = 1.23 which is dividing the whole number and the 10ths place value from the hundredths place value from the ones. (I know this question was asked some time ago but hopefully this still helps anyone with the same question.)(4 votes)
- When should I use this kind of representation?
What is the pros?(0 votes)- This is good for very variant things, I'd say. If you have data that is jumping all over the place in the Tens place, I would definitely use a Stem and Leaf plot.(10 votes)
- Seems to have a confusing process at first glance but once it's started it makes sense.(2 votes)
- Is spacetime four dimensional?
If not, does compactification work?(2 votes) - what happens when we have a three digit number like 345(0 votes)
- The stem is everything before the final digit and the leaf is the final digit.(4 votes)
- solve stem and leaf plots like 000,001,111,100,110,001,101,190?(1 vote)
- In which board and which class do we get questions like this.(1 vote)